House Pondering Next Step After Senate Adjourns

Members of the State House Republican led caucus are deciding their next step after the Senate abruptly adjourned from the special session Thursday.

After a closed-door meeting of the caucus this morning, House Speaker Mike Chenault told reporters that he planned to talk with Senate President Gary Stevens, and see if anything comes of that before a decision is made final. He said the House will have a floor session as scheduled Monday morning.

Under the state Constitution, the House could remain in special session, forcing the Senate to return every three days. Stevens indicated Thursday that this would be a fruitless endeavor, noting the House has no bills before it and he didn’t see a way forward in the Senate for the only bill left on the call – an in-state gas line bill that Chenault says is necessary.

In a further step, the House Resources committee this afternoon scheduled a hearing on Monday for an undesignated bill dealing with an instate gas pipeline. Chenault indicated earlier this week that he was working on further changes to the gasline bill the House passed last month.

That legislation, HB9, is a priority for Chenault. He and other supporters say inaction on it will delay progress on an in-state line.